The Brennan Witch
by natalight
Summary: What if Hermione wasn't a mudblood, but instead from the most powerful line of witches in history? How would the story change? There will eventually be some romance, I just haven't decided with who yet. . .
1. The Beginning of a Line

Prologue: The Beginning of a Line

In a village in the Highlands, in the year 1032 Aisling Brennan was born to a prominent silver smith named Robert and his wife Collie, a witch who would never, even under pain of death admit to being one or use her magic. Aisling started showing signs of witchcraft in the cradle; never crying out, simply showing people what she needed or getting it herself. Collie began her descent to insanity, watching her daughter become something she sought so hard to hide in herself. As Aisling grew, her magic became even more prominent and Collie fell farther and farther in to the abyss that was her mind.

A letter arrived at their little cottage in the most peculiar manner just before Aisling turned eleven years old. It was letter welcoming her to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; it was after this incident that Collie Brennan threw herself off a cliff because of her husband's insistence that their daughter go away to school.

When the time came to leave her father gave her a chain-link silver bracelet with a single charm on it: a flame to remind her of who she was; a light to others.

The first Brennan witch was very talented, quickly becoming the teachers' favorite student and even earning the grudgingly given respect of Salazar Slytherin, even though her blood wasn't quite a pure as he would have liked.

During her fifth year she gained the attention of one of the upper classmen, one of Slytherin's favorites, a Phillip Bicorne. He was impressed by the power and talent she displayed, and wanted it for his own line. Upon her graduation from Hogwarts he asked for her hand in marriage, but before she would agree to be his wife, she made him make her a promise that any witch born of their union would carry the name Brennan. He agreed, and after having five sons, she had the girl that would carry her name and legacy on; Anne Bicorne Brennan.

Aisling, not wanting to leave a witch of her line without protection created a spell to seal a portion of her power away in the charm on the bracelet her father had given her all those years ago, and when Anne went away to school, the bracelet went strapped on her wrist with a new charm, an emerald eyed cat.

When the time came for Anne to marry, she made her husband make the same promise her father had made to her mother, and when she had her daughter, Kathleen, Aisling taught Anne her spell, and when Kathleen went to school she had the bracelet with a charm in the shape of a star added to the others. And so it went for thirty-four more generations before Aisling's careful planning came to a head with the birth of Hermione Granger Brennan to Gabrielle Brennan and Charles Granger.

Our story truly begins with her. . .

* * *

><p>The Brennan Witches<p>

Note: it's year of birth: name; charm added on their behalf. Traditionally it's the father that picks the charm that goes on the bracelet.

1032: Aisling; flame

1069: Anne; cat

1090: Kathleen; star

1116: Emily; tower

1139: Jeanette; sword

1175: Violet; violet

1193: Athena; owl

1220: Aineer; Celtic knot

1257: Persephone; half pomegranate with 6 ruby seeds

1277: Corinne; heart

1302: Lilith; lily

1331: Mariah; amethyst bead

1355: Amelia; fox

1385: Regina; snowflake

1404: Jacqueline; broom

1436: Brenna; moonstone bead

1456: Dymphna; tiara

1485: Rose; rose

1519: Sabine; dancing shoe

1549: Isabelle; arrow

1571: Catalina; horse

1596: Mary; quill

1629: Celeste; moon

1650: Selina; fairy

1674: Elizabeth; winged horse

1701: Marie; cake

1732: Tara; white pawn

1761: Charlotte; amber bead

1793: Fawn; fawn

1820: Helen; ship

1847: Arianna; crystal slipper

1870: Janelle; carriage

1892: Felicity; clock

1912: Pearl; pearl

1950: Gabrielle; Eiffel Tower

September 19th, 1979: Hermione; book


	2. A Letter, a Story, and a New Charm

Chapter One: A Letter, a Story, and a New Charm

Hermione was reading in the family library when her letter came. The owl came straight through the window and landed next to her on the lounge. When she didn't pay it any mind, owl rubbed its head against her arm. Hermione looked up over the top of her book and met the eyes of the owl. "Is that for me?" she asked it excitedly, she never got mail, and it was a very special year, so when owl pushed the letter toward she squealed loud enough to draw her parents' attention.

It was address:

_Miss Hermione Brennan_

_Granger Manor_

_Paris, France_

_North-East Corner of the Library_

By the time Gabrielle and Charles Granger walked into the library, the owl had flown away and Hermione had already gotten the letter opened and was reading it through.

Charles looked to his wife as to say 'What's so exciting about a letter?' She shrugged in response but looked forward answering silently.

When Hermione looked up she squealed again and rushed to her mother waving the letter around as she did. "I got a letter from Hogwarts and I've been invited to go there in the fall! I get to go with John!"

Gabrielle paled and grasped her husband's arm. Charles looked over to his wife and wrapped an arm around her. "Sweetheart, you cannot panic now. Voldemort has been gone for ten years and Hogwarts was safe enough to send your son."

"John will not have the pressure Hermione will when she goes to school and it wasn't safe enough for my mother to send me there." She whispered.

Hermione was confused. Who was Voldemort and why wasn't Hogwarts safe? She had known that her mother hadn't gone to Hogwarts, but not that it was because the school wasn't safe? And didn't her brother go there? If Hogwarts isn't safe why would they risk John like that? None of this made sense to her.

Charles looked at his daughter and laughed and Gabrielle's mood was immediately lifted. "Would you look at our daughter? One sentence from you and she no longer knows what to think about receiving a very special letter today." He turned his attention back to his little girl and knelt down. "Alright Darling," he said opening up his arms for her, "what has you confused?"

She ran to her father and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Voldemort and Hogwarts isn't safe."

He picked up his daughter and walked over to the couch, his wife following behind him. He sat there with her in his lap wondering where to start the story that she needed to hear. Gabrielle looked down to her left wrist where the Brennan bracelet with its thirty-five charms has been clasped since she left for school. She let out a breath. It was time.

She met Charles's eyes over her daughter's head of curls and said, "I'll tell her."

Hermione looked at her mother and then the bracelet. "The bracelet?"

Gabrielle smiled, "Yes, the bracelet."

Hermione was excited; she had never been told the story of the bracelet, other than it was a family heirloom and that she'd find out more 'as tradition dictates'. But what did the bracelet have to do with why Hogwarts wasn't safe?

While Hermione was excited and just a bit more confused than before, Gabrielle was slightly nervous. She had one opportunity to do this right and she didn't want to mess it up.

She sighed and squared her shoulders, preparing to give her daughter her half of her family history. "The Brennan line started in the year 1032 when Aisling Brennan was born. She went off to Hogwarts when she was eleven. She was the first owner of this bracelet." She lifted her wrist up and shook the bracelet a bit. "For a reason lost to time, she wanted every witch born of her line to have her name, so when she married she struck a bargain with her husband; the same deal every witch born to her line has made before they marry. 'Any daughter I have will belong solely to my line, but our sons will carry your name.'"

"That's why I have a different name than you, John, and Daddy."

Gabrielle nodded. "It's been convenient that every Brennan witch has only produced on daughter." She shook her head and then carried on, "This bracelet, like the family name, has been passed down from mother to daughter for thirty-five generations since Aisling was given the bracelet by her father upon her acceptance to school." She fingered the Eiffel Tower charm. "Each charm represents a single witch and holds a portion of her power."

Hermione jumped a little bit at that last piece of information. "A portion of their power. . .? Why, and how did it get there?"

"Calm down Hermione. Aisling created a spell to protect the witches of her line. She sealed some of her power in the little flame on the bracelet upon the birth of her daughter Anne, gifting it to her, along with a new charm when she went away to school, so that if anything were to happen to her, the bracelet would protect her."

"Wait, Mum, does that mean that you've sealed power on your charm too?"

Gabrielle smiled, "As soon as you were born." Charles met her eyes, asking her a silent question. She nodded her assent and proceeded with her explanation as Charles silently summoned a small velvet box. "Traditionally, the father picks the charm for the girl and the bracelet is given to the witch when she gets her acceptance letter from Hogwarts."

Gabrielle got off the couch as Charles pushed Hermione out of his lap and got up himself. She wrapped her arms around her little girl and watched Charles give her the box.

Hermione took the box from his hands and opened it. Nestled inside was a silver book with her name engraved on the cover. The girl didn't know what to say. She caressed the charm just before throwing her arms around her father and squeezing tight. "Thank you Daddy." She whispered.

"Here Darling," her mother said taking off the bracelet, "it's time to give this to you and in order to do that, your charm has to be on it." Hermione handed to box to Gabrielle who in turn took the tiny book out and placed in on the link next to her Eiffel Tower.

Charles took the bracelet from her, feeling the power in the piece of jewelry. He shivered as her pulled his daughter's left wrist to his and clipped it on. Gabrielle cried, as her mother had when she passed the bracelet on to her. She cried because she realized her daughter was growing up on her, because she was worried about her, and because the sheer relief that the power and pressure no longer belonged to her.

The charms chimed like little bells as Hermione played with the bracelet she had long admired from afar; and then she felt it. The sheer weight of the power hovering around her. It overwhelmed her senses and suddenly her world went black.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up in her bedroom. She still felt the power hover in the air around her, but it didn't overwhelm her as much. She looked around the room and saw her mother looking out the window.<p>

She sat up. "Mum?" it was hesitant as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to speak to her.

Gabrielle came to her immediately, enveloping her in a fierce hug. She pulled away and brushed the curls away from Hermione's face. "I was so worried about you Sweetheart. When you didn't wake up right away I was tempted to take you to St. Mungo's. Your father had to talk me out of it."

"Mum, I'm alright. I just want to know why it happened."

Gabrielle sat on the edge of Hermione's bed and engulfed her hand in her own. "I told you, every charm on that bracelet has a fraction of the power of its witch sealed within it. Thirty-five witches including myself, and that happens to be a lot of power. You just weren't quite prepared to have it put upon you."

"Oh."

Gabrielle laughed. "Yes, that was about my reaction too." She kissed the girl's head. "Are you hungry?" Hermione nodded. "I'll have an elf bring up your dinner then." Hermione opened her mouth to protest but her mother beat her to it, "No, you will not get up. You will stay here in bed and rest."

"Yes Mum." She grumbled in response.

"Good."

* * *

><p>Charles was trying to go over some business when his wife walked into his study and sat on his lap. "Is she awake then?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.<p>

"Yes, she finally woke up."

"Did John make it home yet?"

She sighed and snuggled into him. "I don't know where our son is at the moment."

He stroked her arm and nuzzled his head into her neck. "Sweetheart, if you're so worried about Hermione, maybe we should write Dumbledore and ask that she be known as a Granger at school."

Gabrielle turned to look at him. "Do you think that would work Charles?"

"People would still be able to feel her power, but if they didn't know her as the Brennan witch, then maybe she wouldn't be in as much danger as you were from the Death Eaters. . ."

"They're still out there, and it worries me so much." The tears began to fall down her cheeks again.

"Gabby, don't cry." He wiped away her tears the best he could. "She will be perfectly fine. John goes there and nothing has ever happened to him except a few Quidditch accidents, and Hermione hates flying, so she won't even be in danger of that."

"I hope you're right, Charles, I hope you're right."


End file.
